Casting Known Talent

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Firm1

Ok guys so has anyone here had experience casting known talent? I'm not talking about super famous, A - List, I mean just someone who has some known films/tv shows under their belt.

I have an idea for someone for a specific role, but I am unsure on how to get the script to them. Most resources online are extremely top line blogs with tips such as "have lunch with their agent" and nothing with actual tips.

I'm wondering if anyone who frequents this site has had real world experience attracting known talent to their project and if they can offer the community some advice and maybe a "how to" :)

Thanks!
 
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Firm1 said:
Ok guys so has anyone here had experience casting known talent? I'm not talking about super famous, A - List, I mean just someone who has some known films/tv shows under their belt.
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So I don't ramble on...

Are you asking about making an offer of work? Or are you asking
about attaching talent before you have funding?
 
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Since you will be using this actor to get financing, they become
primary partners in the production. Without them, you can't get
the money. So you aren't actually making an acting offer, you are
asking for their help in financing.

Keep in mind that any actor worth having attached to your script
is already getting a stack of scripts from producers and studios. Also,
this is what they do for a living. Many are willing to help out a low
budget moviemaker, but this is much more than a hobby to them.
Working for the ULBA or on deferred pay takes them off the paying
market for the length of your shoot. And you have to stand in line:


First on the list are offers at or above their "quote". A guaranteed
paycheck.

Second on the list are scripts from studios and producers for less than
their quote - but these are also firm offers (money is attached, they
get paid when they say "yes"). These are projects where the script
may be more important than the money - but there is still money
(and often a high profile writer, producer or other actor) attached.

Third in line are pet projects. The actor has a pet project they will
take to producers with no money attached, but it's a story they really
love.

Fourth in line are scripts from friends or friends of friends. No money
attached, but at least brought to them by someone known to them
personally.

Eventually we go all the way down to some total stranger with a script
and no money. Imagine the odds of doing that script instead of any of
the others?

Knowing that you are number five on a very long list of scripts being
offered should help you decide how to approach them or their agent.
Maybe you could offer a producer credit to the actor, or a good friend
of the actor.

Then there is the fear that their name might not be enough. You need
their name to get financing. What if you don't get the money? Nothing
happens to YOU but they become the actor whose name wasn't good
enough to raise money.

It CAN be done. It HAS been done. Understand the business and what
the actor will get out of it and that will help you approach them in a more
professional way.
 
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mlesemann said:
I would also emphasize that you need to make sure you have a terrific
script before you send it to them. If you don't have that, there's no chance to
make it work.
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This is simply not true. There are other variables that play into this as well such as your own reputation, your own credibility, your connections, and of course money and everything that surrounds that. There is talent out there that will attach themselves to a project even if the script is weak as long as the money is there. I realize in this situation the OP described that the money isn't there yet so the best bet is to go through a casting agent and they will utilize their own resources.
 
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This is simply not true. There are other variables that play into this as well such as your own reputation, your own credibility, your connections, and of course money and everything that surrounds that. There is talent out there that will attach themselves to a project even if the script is weak as long as the money is there.
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Given that the OP (as I understand it) has no reputation, credibility, connections, or money, I stand by my statement that he'd damn well better have a good script.

But if he has some combo of some (or all) of those things that you mention, then absolutely I agree that the script is less important.
 
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DeJager said:
There is talent out there that will attach themselves to a project even if the script is weak as long as the money is there.
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As long as the money is there it's true that some actors will take a
job even if they don't like the script. But you know that's not what
is being discussed here. We're talking about attaching an actor to
a project where there is no money.

DeJager said:
I realize in this situation the OP described that the money isn't there yet so the best bet is to go through a casting agent and they will utilize their own resources.
Click to expand...
Do you have experience in this? Have you gone to a casting agent
with no money and had success attaching an actor in order to raise
financing? I'd love to hear your experience.
 
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